Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-07-29
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Weekly Discourse of the Great
Brooklyn Preacher
Subjects "NaterIng the Sheep"
preached at the HamptOns,
Long IsIand.)

toral. A well of water of great value in
that region. The fields around about it
white with three flocks of sheep lying down
waiting for the watering. / hear their beat
ing coming on the bright air, and the laughter
of young men and maidens indulging in
rustic repartee. l look Off and see other
focks of sheep coming. Meanwhile, Jacob,
stranger, on the interesting errand of look
ing for a wife, comes to the well A beauti.
full shepherdeSs comes to the same well. Isee
her approaching, followed by her fathers
flock of sheep. 1t was a memorable
meeting. Jacob married that shepherdess.
The Bible account of it is: Jacob
kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice
and wept" 1t has always been mystery
to me what he found to cry about But be-
fore that scene occurred, Jacob accosts the
shepherds and asks them why they postpone
the stalking of the thirst of these sheep, and
why they did not Immediately proceed to
water them. The shepherds reply to the eff
feet: 1--WE are all good neighbors, and, as a
matter OF courtesy, we wait until all the
sheep of the neighborhood come up. Besides
that, this stone on the wells mouth is some
what heavy, and several of us take hold of it
and push it aside, and then the buckets and
the troughs are filled, and the sheep are salts
fled. We cannot, until all the fiocks are
gathered together, and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth; then we water the
Sheep
Oh, this is q thirsty world Hot for the
mead, and blistering for the feet, and parch-
ing for the tongue. The worlds great want
is cool, refreshing, satisfying draught. We
wander around and we find the cistern empty.
Long and tedious drought has dried up the
worlds fountains, but nearly nineteen GEN.
turtles ago, a Shepherd, with crook in the
shape of cross, and feet cut to the blGeling,
explored the desert passages of this world
and one day came across q well thousand
feet deep, bubbling and bright, and opal
escent, and looked to the north, and the
south, and the east, and the west, and cried
out with voice strong and musical that
rang through the ages: "Ho, every one that
thirststh, come We to the watersm
Now great flock of sheep to-day gather
around tins Gospel well. There are q great
many thirsty souls. l wonder why the fiocks
of all nations do not gather-why so many
stay thirsty; and while am wondering about
it, my text breaks forth in the explanation,
saying "We cannot, until all the llocks be
gathered together, and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth: then we water the
Sheep
If a herd Of swine come to a well they
angrily juStle each other for the precedence;
if drove of cattle come to a well, they hook
each other back from the water, but when a
tlocl: of sheep come, though a hundred of
them shall be disappointed, they only express
it by sad beating; they come together peace
fully. We want q great multitude to
come around the Gospel we'll | know
there are those who do not like
crowd-they thnl; a crowd is vul.
gar. If they are oppressed for room in
church it makes them positively impatient
and belligerent. We have had people
permanently leave our church because many
other people came to it. Not so did these
Oriental shepherds. They waited until all the
hocks We're gathered, and the more tocGs
that came the better they liked it, And so
we ought to be anxious that all the people
rl,D u I,.,H, -, L.
the hedges and compel them to come
in. Go to the rich and tell them they
are INDECENT without the Gospel of Jesus
Go to the poor and tell them the
atiluence there is in Christ. Go to the blind
and tell them of the touch that gives eternal
illumination. Go to the lame and tell them
of the joy that will make the lame man leap
like hart. Gather all the sheep off of all
the mountains None 50 torn of the dogs,
none SO sick, none so worried, none so dying
as to be omitted. Why not gather great
flock! All Brooklyn in a flock all New York
in flock; all London in flock; all the world
in a flock. This well of the Gospel is deep
enough to put out the burning thirst of the
twelve hundred million, of the race Do not
let the Church, by spirit of exclusive
ness keep the world out. Let down
all the bars, swing open all the
gates, scatter ell the invtatlons "Who-
soever will, let him come" Come, white and
Laplander, out of the snow. Come. Patago-
MAN, out of the heat. Come in furs Come
painting under palm leaves. Come one. Come
all. Come now. As at this well OF Mesopo
tamia, Jacob and Rachel were betrothed, so
this morning, at this well Of salvation, Christ
our Shepherd viii meet you coming up with
your long hOckS of cares and anXi9tieS, and
He will stretch out his hand in pledge of His
affection, while all heaven will cry out: "Be
hold the bridegroom cometh, go we out to
meet him"
You notice that this well of Mesopotamia
had stone on it, which must be removed be-
fore the sheep could be watered: and find on
the well OF salvation to-day impediments and
obstacles, which must be removed i'll order
that you may obtain the refeshment and life
OF this Gospel. In Your case the impeachment
is pride of heart. You cannot bear to come
to SO democratic fountain; you do not want
TO come with SO many Others. 1t is to you
ike When you are dry, coming to a town
pump, as compared to si5ti in Il parlor SIP
ping out o! q chased chalice which has Just
been lifted from silver salver. Not 50
many publcaEs and sinners. You want to
get to heaven but it must be in a
special car, with your feet on a Turkish
ottoman and band of music on board the
train. You do not want to be in company
with rustic Jacob and Rachel, and to be
drinking out of the fountain where ten thou
SAND sheep have been drinking before YOU.
You viii have to remove the obstacle of pride,
or never End your way to the wei. You will
nave TO come as we came willing to take
the water Of eternal life in any way. and at
any hand, and in any kind of pitcher, CRYING
OUT: oh, Lord Jesus, | am dying of thirst.
61ve me the water Of eternal lie whether in
trough or goblet; give me the water of
eternal life; care not in what 1T comes to
me- Away with all your hindrances of
pride from the wells mouth
Here is another man who is kent back from
this water of life by the stone of an obdurate
heart, which lies over the mouth OF the we'll
You have no more feeling upon this subject
than II God had yet to do you the first kind
ness, or you had to do God the first wrong.
Seated on his lap all these years, His ever
lasting arms sheltering you, where is your
gratitude! Where is your morning and even
ing prayer! Where are your consecrated
lives! say TO you, as Daniel said to Bel
sha2zar "The God in whose hand thy breath
IS, and all thy way, thou has not glorifed. "
IL you treated anybody as badly MS you have
treated Col, you would have made five hun.
dred apoloSleS-yea your whole life would
nave been an apology. Three times day you
have been seated at Gods table Spring sum
mer autumn and winter he has appropriately
appareled you. Your health from Him, your
companion IRON Him, your children from
Him. your home from him; all the bright sur
roundings of your life from Him. o man.
what dost thou with that hard heart2 Canst
thou not feel one throb of gratitude toward
the God that made you, and the Christ who
came to redeem you, and the Holy Ghost who
hasalf these years been importuning you9 II
you could sit down five minutes under the
Tree OF Saviour's martyrdom, and feel his
warm life-blood trickling on your forehead
and cheek, and hands, methinks you would gel
some appreciation of what you owe to q cruel.
fled Jesus
"Heart Of stone, reent, relent,
Touched by Jesus cross subdued:
See His body, mauged. rent.
Covered with gore of blood